Schizochilus cecilii Rolfe 1906 Photo by © Bart Wursten and The Flora of Zimbabwe Website
EARLY
Common Name Cecil's Schizochilus [Rhodesian Plant collector 1800's]
Flower Size .1 to .2" [2 to 3 mm]
Found in Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Transvaal South Africa in shallow soil over rock in montane grassland at elevations of 1000 to 2200 meters as a small sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial with 6 to 8, semi erect, clustered near the base of the stem leaves and 5 to 9 lanceoalte cauline leaves up the stem that blooms in the early summer on an erect, then characteristically downward curved, to 40 small flowered inflorescence and carrying color variable, sweet vanilla scented flowers.
The lead photo on this page is Schizochilus cecilii Rolfe 1906 which occurs only in Zimbabwe, the subspecies photos are below and they occcur in South Africa.
Synonyms Schizochilus cecilii subsp. culveri (Schltr.) H.P.Linder 1980; Schizochilus cecilii subsp. transvaalensis (Rolfe) H.P.Linder 1980; Schizochilus culveri Schltr. 1921; Schizochilus galpinii Schltr. 1921; Schizochilus tenellus Schltr. 1921; Schizochilus transvaalensis Rolfe 1912
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982; Flora Zambesiaca Vol 11 Part 1 Pope 1995; Orchids of Kenya Stewart 1996; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999; Genera Orchidacearum Vol 2 Part One Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase and Rasmussen 2001 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photo fide; Terrestrial African Orchids, A select Review John S. Ball 2009 drawing fide
Schizochilus cecilii Rolfe 1906 subsp culveri Photos courtesy of © Lourens Grobler
LATE
EARLY
A yellow color variety occuring in Swaziland and Transvaal provinces of South Africa on rock ledges, between rocks or on rock faces in high altitude sour grasslands at elevations around 1000 to 2200 meters as a miniature to small sized, cool growing terrestrial with 3 to 6 clustered, linear to oblanceolate leaves and lanceolate cauline leaves that blooms in the summer on a nodding, more or less secund, very densely 20 to 38 flowered inflroescence
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Linder, Schelpe & Hall 1982; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland McMurty, Grobler, Grobler & Burns 2008 photo fide;
Schizochilus cecilii subsp. transvaalensis (Rolfe) H.P.Linder 1980
S ceciliae subsp transvaalensis Plant and Flowers in situ South Africa Photos by © Lourens Grobler
A color variety occuring only in the Transvaal with white flowers with a yellow lip.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Wild Orchids of Southern Africa Stewart, Schelpe, Linder and Hall 1982 photo fide; Orchids of Southern Africa Linder & Kurzweil 1999drawing/photo fide;
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